Crépuscule
by Yilena
Summary: The night takes a turn for the best when Marinette leaves with a man that she'd met at the bar. She didn't expect them to get along so well, or for him to be so flustered from her advances, but it's certainly not turning her off. AU.


**AN: **Happy belated birthday, Saij! I'm sorry this took a while, I was busy before. It doesn't match up to last year's present, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. You're a wonderful person and you deserve the best.

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

Fixing her dark-coloured hair in the mirror, Marinette checked her reflection to see whether her outfit looked okay. The tickets that they'd managed to get for that evening were hard to come by, and while she did want to garner attention, she actually did want to enjoy the show before anything else popped up.

When her door slammed open, she barely managed to lift her hand up and catch the item that had been thrown at her.

"What?" she questioned, baffled.

Her friend stood in the doorway, looking at her in disapproval. "I knew you were going to go for this look."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Marinette replied, utterly sarcastic as she inspected the lipstick that she was suddenly holding. "Is my outfit not up for your standards? We don't all like having our backs bare, Chloé. Those theatre seats are fucking itchy."

Chloé just tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Get the fuck over it."

"Don't be so mean," she retorted. "I actually do want to see the show for once, okay? I'll go to the bar with you afterwards. I'm sure I can amuse myself while you be all flirty there."

The response she got to that wasn't sugar-coated. "Honey, if you think you're going to seduce anyone dressed like _that_, there's clearly something wrong with you."

Marinette shot her a dirty look. "I'm perfectly attractive without showing all of my skin, thank you."

"Marinette, you look like you're a lost child," Chloé bluntly said. "Slut it up a little or you're not getting into my car."

But it was _cold_ outside. Instead of following Chloé's demand—as it really wasn't advice—she only darkened up her make-up, choosing to put on one of her thicker cardigans. It earned her a look of disgust before Chloé rolled her eyes fondly, the two of them looking to be in complete contrast of each other in more than just their hair colours.

The sun made her sneeze when they stepped outside.

Chloé patted her on the back with more force than necessary. "Don't ruin your make-up."

"I can't help it," she lamented, reaching up and gently dabbing her eye with her palm. "I'm more sensitive than you."

Chloé laughed at that. "Yeah, in all the worst ways."

They arrived early enough to the venue that they wandered to the bar to order drinks beforehand, sipping on the glasses as they chatted until they could be seated.

"Hey," Marinette called, snapping her fingers to get her friend's attention. "You can check them out later. I deserve your attention for a bit."

Chloé wrinkled her nose. "I look like I'm taking you to church."

"Yeah, to confess your fucking sins," she quipped. "Come on, is it really so bad if we just go out with no ulterior motives?"

"Careful, it almost sounds like you're wanting to go on a date with me."

She snorted. "I don't know why I even agree to this any more. You always ditch me anyway."

"It's not my fault you're a failure," Chloé replied, smiling at someone over Marinette's shoulder rather than at her, the smile full of white teeth and inviting. "I can always use you as a sob story to earn some points, so I guess your little outfit isn't all that bad."

Marinette resisted the urge to kick her.

They were on their second drink when they were finally able to enter the theatre. The seats weren't too bad, surprising due to how short notice they'd gotten their hands onto the tickets, and they were close to the aisles. Chloé made a point of purposely winking at someone when they looked at her walking past, and Marinette was left holding their drinks as they shuffled to their seat.

Throughout the show, Chloé kept moving closer to mutter in her ear, quiet enough that no one else would hear their words, and Marinette's shoulders shook with laughter from the comments. It was always fun to watch something with Chloé as she had a tendency to pick it all apart, frustrated with the plot holes or bits left out, and Marinette always annoyed her by saying that she enjoyed it thoroughly and tried to see how long Chloé would believe her for.

It was a good friendship, one they'd had since they were children.

When it came time for the break, Chloé found a table for the two of them to sit at and dramatically leaned back, putting one thigh on top of the other and showing a lot of skin in the process as she demanded, "Fetch us our drinks, Marinette."

Marinette just looked at her in disapproval. "Say please."

"Please leave."

With a laugh, she did just that.

It was while she was waiting for the bartender to return with the drinks she'd ordered that the person standing to her side turned towards her. At first, it was just a glance, something that anyone would've done, but then he'd angled himself towards her with his arms on the bar.

"Are you enjoying the show?" he asked pleasantly.

Marinette offered him a small smile. "It's okay so far. What about you?"

"About the same," he agreed, reaching up to run a hand through his blond hair. "I admit, I'm a bit distracted since the people sitting in front of me keep leaning into each other and whispering."

She blinked.

Then, he cupped one side of his mouth and intentionally whispered to her, "I almost think they're plotting a murder or something."

It didn't take long for her to realise that he was talking about her and Chloé. "Are we that annoying?" she asked with a grin, not feeling ashamed.

"If you promise not to hurt me, you're fine." He winked. "I can't really hear you anyway, so it's fine."

She laughed. "Well, thank you for your approval."

"If I do overhear your conversation, I promise I'll kick your chair to give you a warning," he replied, grin showing dimples on his cheeks. "That seems fair, doesn't it?"

Marinette tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. "Most wouldn't give me a warning at all."

"What can I say?" he mused, charismatic and joking all at once. "I'm a gentleman."

And after the bartender had returned with the two glasses, Marinette picked one up and deliberately took a small sip as she looked up into his eyes. After licking her lips, she murmured, "Would you like a chance to prove that later?"

It wasn't the most forward that she'd been, not really. The male had been clearly interested in her in some way—for conversation or more—but as soon as she uttered those words, she could easily see the surprise clear on his expression as some redness appeared on his skin.

He cleared his throat. "Pardon?"

It was kind of cute, actually. He'd been so put together until that moment, but as soon as she'd started to get suggestive, he fumbled a bit.

Her smile widened as she picked up both of the glasses and said to him in passing, "It was nice meeting you."

Chloé was by herself when she got back, busy paying attention to her phone instead of trying to mingle with anyone else. Marinette put down their drinks with a bit more force than necessary just to try and get her attention, but all it earned her was a pointed look before Chloé went back to staring at her phone.

"Get off the dating app," Marinette demanded, taking another sip of her drink.

Chloé just laughed. "I have to try and set up some entertainment afterwards somehow, don't I?"

"You're just being picky."

"I want to use those new pictures I got the other day," was the response she got. "You know, the ones with the black lace? I just made a new account for it and everything."

Marinette neutrally replied, "That's nice."

"I'm sorry your sexting's a futile mess, but some of us are gifted." Chloé sniffed. "You could really learn a lot from me, you know. All you have to do is admit that you're inferior to my charm."

She snorted. "You think everyone is inferior."

"Can anyone prove me otherwise?" Chloé raised her eyebrows, finally putting away her phone and giving her her full attention. "No, they cannot."

"Considering I just had a guy chatting to me at the bar? I think I'm doing just fine by myself, thanks," Marinette responded, haughtily raising her chin in the air.

Chloé's laughter was loud. "He probably thought you were lost."

"Has anyone asked you that and then offered to guide you to their bed?" she asked.

Chloé positively cackled. "A few times. I haven't really kept count."

The rest of the show was as amusing as the last. Chloé was visibly frustrated with the plot at the end—something she remarked quite loudly on and earned them stares and specific noises that were meant to make them be quiet—and Marinette was shaking with laughter throughout most of it, be it from the actual performance or her friend's reaction beside her.

Although she'd remembered that the man that had spoken to her was said to be sat behind her, she didn't turn around to look at him until the lights were turned on properly again. She shot him a wide grin when she caught him gazing at her, not bothering to hide how amused she felt from how his eyes widened in surprise.

"First of all, gross," Chloé interjected, wrapping her hand around Marinette's wrist and giving her a tug to hurry her along. "You are absolutely _not_ making eyes at him right now."

With a laugh, Marinette asked, "Why not?"

"Because you're not getting any before me." Chloé sniffed. "And I don't want to go back alone."

"Those are terrible reasons," she readily retorted. "Besides, you're the one that drove here and you're probably still more than willing to leave with someone else."

Chloé didn't even try and deny that. "No one's really up to my standards."

"I don't know about that," Marinette mused. "That guy wasn't so bad, right?"

There was no hesitation as Chloé replied, "He's terrible if he's interested in you."

With a quick shake of her arm to get Chloé's hand off of her, she asked, "Weren't you just telling me earlier to have some fun?"

"My advice was to slut it up—"

It wasn't just the alcohol she'd had that was spurring on her courage. Marinette bravely reached up high to pat the top of Chloé's head, earning her a livid look. "I'm going to go do that, then. Wish me luck."

Chloé glowered at her. "Fine, but don't expect me to pick you up in the morning."

She grinned. "I'll buy you breakfast."

"...I'll think about it."

And as Chloé went off towards the bar without looking back at her, Marinette chose to linger within view of the doors that she'd just walked out of, fishing out her phone from her bag to amuse herself in the meantime. Even if he wasn't interested, Chloé wouldn't leave for a while, and if she really had to make her own way home a different way, it wouldn't be too much trouble.

It was pretty rare for Chloé to fail when she put her mind to something, though.

It didn't take long for everyone else to trail out, either going towards the bar or the exit. Marinette kept herself amused for the most part, wondering whether she was being too hopeful from a brief conversation, but she was proved wrong within a few minutes.

"Hey," was his greeting, not quite startling her since she'd spotted him approaching. "Are you waiting for someone?"

Her smile reached her eyes as she lifted her head up, locking the screen of her phone. "I don't know," she replied, acting coy. "What do you think?"

"I think," he started slowly, a hand reaching up to touch the nape of his neck. "I think that depends on whether you'd like to get a drink with me or not."

Marinette almost fumbled as she put her phone away. "And if I say yes?"

And when he smiled, the dimples on his cheeks were very visible. "I'd offer you my humble company, of course."

It didn't sound too bad, honestly, but with the amount of alcohol she'd had that evening, she didn't really want to consume any more when she was only feeling a pleasant warmth in her chest. If she was planning to spend time with him, regardless for how long it was, she wanted to have her wits about her.

She'd kind of learned that the decisions she made when she was drunk weren't exactly good ones, something that Chloé could attest to.

With a glance to the side to see whether she could see her friend at the bar, Marinette asked, "How about you keep me company somewhere else?"

She could see it as he swallowed before he echoed, "Somewhere... else?"

It was forward of her, definitely, but there wasn't really anything to lose at that moment. Thus far, it sure beat the awkward date that she'd had the previous week from meeting someone online, to which Chloé had laughed endlessly about, and she wasn't too concerned about him being nefarious in any way.

That might've been a bit too presumptuous, but she was feeling confident.

"A bit more private, perhaps?" she suggested, tucking some stray hairs behind her ear. "It is rather loud in here."

"Right," he said, looking a bit dazed as he stared at her a little wide-eyed. "I—are you sure?"

And if that expression didn't make her feel brave, her noticing that the top of his ears had turned red definitely did.

"No, but I am Marinette," she quipped shamelessly.

It was worth it from the way he laughed, the sound honest and louder than any of his previous words. Then, as if he'd realised what he just did, he raised a hand up to his mouth, looking mortified for a moment.

He was kind of cute.

With a smile, she held a hand out to him. "And you are?"

"Adrien," he stated, gently shaking her hand.

His hand felt soft.

As it turned out, Adrien had met up with a group of friends, but he'd come alone. Marinette sent Chloé a text to confirm that she was leaving—which earned her a colourful message in return—and she was more than happy to follow him into the parking lot.

Adrien babbled on about the show, telling her about his favourite parts of it, the topic entirely innocent. Rather than tease him as she did with Chloé, she nodded along, adding a few of her own positive opinions, not wanting to criticise it without actually knowing him. It would've been awkward if they suddenly stopped getting along, after all.

Side-by-side, she didn't come up to his shoulders. The height difference was quite pronounced, Adrien a few inches taller than Chloé, and she had to wonder whether she'd be able to kiss him while standing on her toes for extra height.

And when he gestured towards his car, Marinette reached out to take his hand into her own, spurring him on to look at her curiously, no longer rambling about the show.

She took a step closer, their shoes almost touching, and really did see how high she could reach.

She kissed his chin.

"Well," Marinette started petulantly as she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "That's a little inconvenient."

Adrien cleared his throat. "Sorry."

It really didn't escape her notice that his face had become flushed, only just visible in the terrible lighting from the parking lot. To her pleasant surprise, he hesitantly glanced down at her lips before leaning down a little, gently pressing a kiss to her lips that she could've turned her head away from if she didn't want it.

That definitely made her chest feel warmer.

Marinette happily returned it, moving closer so she could press their chests together. It was slow at first, barely there and shy, but from her persistent enthusiasm, Adrien quickly relaxed against her, the kiss no longer as hesitant.

Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around her neck, fingers going into his hair as she made a noise of appreciation against him, able to feel his body against hers. His breath on her face wasn't unpleasant, nor were his touches that were slowly becoming more bold as he put his hands on her hips, the warmth from them not able to be felt through her clothing.

She really wanted to change that.

With an awkward shuffle from him silently conveying that he wanted her to move with actions alone, Marinette found her back against his car as they continued to kiss, her mouth opening eagerly to deepen it when he made his intentions clear.

A shocked noise definitely escaped her when his hands went further down, trailing over her skirt before dipping below to her thighs, the message coming across clearly without words.

And when he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist, his jeans rubbing against the inside of her thighs and her underwear from the new position, she didn't have any complaints about it—it was a bit impressive, actually.

She hadn't thought about doing that.

Adrien rocked against her a little, a shy movement that wasn't quite as forward or aggressive as his decision to hold her up, but the shocked gasp that escaped her from the sudden friction wasn't very quiet. She enthusiastically responded to the kiss, the fingers in his hair gripping a bit tighter, and she rocked her hips into him—

Only for someone to curse at them.

Adrien recoiled from her in shock, letting go of her in the process as he wildly looked in the direction that the reprimand had come from, while Marinette quickly found her balance before she fumbled to the floor.

It was a little bit of a shock how quickly it had ended.

"I'm so sorry," he quickly apologised, attention going back to her, and he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "It wasn't my intention to do that. I mean, not here, at least."

She smoothed out her skirt, trying to ignore how hot her face felt. "It's okay."

It hadn't crossed her mind that other people would see them, not when she'd been too fixated on her attraction to him. And since feeling him pressed against her—in more ways than one—that attraction was still there, but the reason that she was staying, despite the moment having been ruined, was because of his reactions.

Adrien looked embarrassed as he took his hand back, running it through is hair. "Are you okay?"

She wasn't completely shameless. While Chloé would've swore at anyone that had dared to interrupt her, Marinette liked to think that she was more of a peaceful person.

It was the dampness of her underwear that kept her attention.

"I should be asking you that," Marinette returned, wetting her lips. "Are you okay to drive?"

"Eh?" Adrien pause before a realisation struck him. "Oh, I haven't had anything to drink. Wait—you're not _drunk_, are you?"

Her laughter was almost fond. "No, I'm not."

"Are you sure?" he persisted, inspecting her condition and completely disregarding his arousal that was still very obvious at that moment. "If you need a lift, I can drive you home. Your friend should still be here, right? She—"

And for him to be worrying about how intoxicated she was on top of everything else was adding up very well for him.

She liked to think that his chances of being insane were getting lesser by the minute.

Boldly, Marinette reached out and hooked a finger through the loop of his jeans. "How about you take me back in the morning?"

It shouldn't have worked, not really. It was the type of line that should've been laughed at, but it seemed that when it was paired with a smile and her blue-coloured eyes looking into his, Adrien barely hesitated to stutter out, "I—okay, yes. I can do that."

She grinned.

Adrien kept tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel.

The conversation turned innocent again. Marinette kept her hands to herself, not wanting to distract him, and she was more than happy to listen to him ramble for a bit, interjecting her own opinions when they were relevant.

She wasn't that nervous, surprisingly. When she was, she'd talk quickly, blurting everything out, but regardless whether it was the alcohol she'd had or the comfortable feeling that she had with him, her heart wasn't fluttering from worries. They'd been interrupted before and other than the small tinge of annoyance at that, she wasn't put off by him in the slightest.

It was as he was explaining that his friend had played the lead in the show they'd been at when he pulled into a driveway. Marinette asked some questions about his friend as they got out, complimented his acting when they passed through the threshold, and she was genuinely laughing at a joke when she slipped her shoes off.

It was another matter when the first piece of clothing came off.

Adrien had directed them to his living room, flicking on the light and settling down beside her on the sofa. Their shoulders had brushed from the close distance, and as he turned towards her to talk, she leaned in, her eyes flickering between his mouth and his eyes, making her intent clear.

He was the one to kiss her.

It was gentle at first, just like the previous time. Marinette hummed in approval, readily leaning into him, reaching out to his chest to grasp onto his shirt, scrunching it up within her fist. Adrien responded heartily, the shyness disappearing in a matter of moments, and when her breaths were starting to become louder, she lifted herself up and settled down onto his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs.

It was worth it to hear his gasp when she pressed against his crotch.

Marinette smiled into the kiss, well aware that he was able to feel it, and rocked into him as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. A pleased noise left her as he shifted so she could feel his arousal much more clearly, though there was still the matter of their clothing being in the way.

And as she moved her hips, brushing against him in the process, she first lifted up her skirt so it was no longer between her legs uncomfortably before turning her attention to the bottom of his shirt, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips before she tugged the material upwards.

Adrien complied without any complaints, letting her pull the shirt off of him before tossing it aside.

He kissed her again.

With her fingertips running down his chest, feeling the dips and curves of his body that weren't hidden any longer, she rocked her hips against him, trying to find some friction. But rather than undress her, as she'd done to him, Adrien's reaction was to run his hands along her thighs until they dipped underneath her skirt, grasping onto her backside and squeezing in appreciation.

She moaned, shifting against him. The building heat within her abdomen was travelling lower, the wetness of her underwear hard to ignore, and she could feel that he was in much the same situation, but he didn't seem too rushed to do anything about it.

Marinette shrugged off her cardigan, and then she was the one that broke their kiss to tug her own shirt off.

Adrien started to press kisses to her neck, occasionally nipping at her skin as travelled closer to the sensitive part, the grip on her backside making it easier for him to pull her against him as he moved his hips.

When it became clear that he wasn't going to touch skin she'd exposed from taking off her shirt, she undid her brassiere, carelessly throwing it aside before wrapping her arms around his neck once more, tilting his head up so they could kiss as she pressed her chest against hers.

That got his attention.

One of his hands went to her breasts, palming her gently with his thumb brushing over her sensitive nub, the feel of his skin soft and welcome, and her moan was muffled against his mouth.

They continued to rut against each other, their breaths growing breathy and loud, and Marinette was very aware of the pulse between her legs, fast and demanding, wanting more than the small amount of friction that she was getting. As enjoyable as it was to kiss him while he brushed over her nipple with his thumb, it was going very slow.

"Okay," she said, breathy after breaking the kiss, trailing her lips over his jawline instead. "You've proved you're gentle, well done."

She could feel it as he laughed, his hand no longer on her breast. "And a man, right?"

"Oh, definitely," Marinette agreed, biting down gently on his neck before travelling down a bit further, trying to find the most sensitive. As he hadn't pushed her away, she assumed that he had no problems with what she was doing.

Adrien's response to that was to run his hands over her thighs again, dipping beneath her skirt until he found the bottom of her underwear. Then, as his hips stopped moving against hers, he trailed over the damp material at the front with enough pressure to make her shiver.

She continued to suck gently on his neck, not quite committing enough or leave a mark that would last, and put more weight on her knees so he was easily able to slip his fingers past her underwear, rubbing against her sensitive part as he adjusted to get a more comfortable angle for the both of them. Marinette hummed against his neck in approval, her intake of breath as one of his fingertips entered her not quite muffled from what she was doing.

It was a little awkward because of the position, but she was easily able to move her hips to make his movements easier as he pressed his finger within her, trying to be gentle and not hurt her. The noises her body made from his actions were very audible when he started to move his finger, tentatively putting a second in when he presumed she was stretched enough.

It was a little infuriating how slow he was going still, taking his time and making sure that she wouldn't hurt herself in the future, and Marinette continued to rock herself into him, trying to make his fingers go deeper inside her, not at all embarrassed about the moans that were escaping her.

She could absolutely feel his arousal against her, but she was more focused on the gasp that escaped him when she gently bit one spot on his neck.

Her heart was thundering, the warmth in her abdomen travelling lower, confirming that his actions were very pleasing to her, and she could _hear_ how wet she was between her legs.

And when he used his thumb to rub against her protrusion, she lifted her head to kiss him once more; heated, passionate, and not at all gentle.

Almost blindly, she reached down to tug at his belt, undoing his trousers and clumsily making her way to his underwear. Adrien didn't do anything to aid her, continuing to scissor her with his fingers, and she'd started resting her head against his shoulder, the building pleasure hard to ignore. And as she moaned, not trying to be quiet, she had had to lean back a little so she was able to grasp his member, earning a startled noise from him.

She laughed at that.

Adrien curled his fingers. "Are you laughing at me?"

"I—never," she stuttered, adjusting her hand to grip at the bottom of his arousal, squeezing a little to make her intentions clear. "Why would I ever do that?"

There wasn't an answer from him to that.

And as she kissed him again, getting lost in the sensations, trying to return the pleasure back to him by pumping her hand in an inconsistent rhythm, there was no denying that the night had turned out positively. It had been an impulsive decision on her part, she knew that, but he'd been kind thus far.

That really explained why they were half naked.

She wasn't too sure which one of them stopped first.

She lifted herself up to awkwardly take off her underwear, not really wanting to change their position, but when Adrien tried to do the same to remove the rest of his clothing, he accidentally knocked into her and almost made her fall.

With a laugh, she recovered and tossed her underwear behind her, leaning to the side to try and make it easier on Adrien to strip. The only pause was when he got his wallet out of his pocket to retrieve something important from it.

"Nice," Marinette remarked.

His grin wasn't sheepish. "Good to be prepared, right?"

"Absolutely," she agreed, running a hand over his chest as she started to kiss his neck again, amusing herself as the tell-tale sound of foil could be heard.

There wasn't much fumbling. Marinette let him put a hand on her hip as she hovered over him, feeling the brush of him pressing against her, giving her any amount of time to change her mind as he lined himself up with her. She gently bit his neck to show her silent approval, pushing her hips down when she felt him at her entrance.

When he was fully inside her, it didn't hurt.

She could hear him breathing as she waited to adjust, trailing kisses back up to his jawline before capturing his lips, only just starting to move again, making it so it was just the tip of his arousal within her for a moment before she sunk back down, a satisfied moan escaping her.

Both of his hands were on her hips at that point, seeming to guide her movements and spur her on, and she didn't have any complaints about it; his skin was warm, the touch was nice, and the pleasurable feeling she got whenever he thrust into her was more than worth it.

She tried to move at a somewhat consistent pace, but it was hard. The position made it so he couldn't move that much, not when she was on his lap, but she did reach out one hand to grasp onto the top of the sofa behind him for some kind of support.

Between their loud breaths and moans, the most prominent noise was the sound of their slick skin. She pulled away from their kiss with a gasp, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, letting her forehead press against her arm as she continued to move. She could feel his nails digging into her skin, his warm breath against her skin, and all of that combined with the wonderful feeling of him inside her was a lot to take in.

And although it wasn't the alcohol making her feel confident any more, she wasn't trying to hold back her moans. Marinette was too absorbed in their actions to really focus on anything else at that moment, only wanting to have it continue on as the building pleasure had her moving her hips almost frantically.

Her muscles tensed when she reached her peak, tightening around him, and her momentum faltered as Adrien sought out his own, rutting against her a few more times before he shuddered.

She ran a hand through his hair as they both breathed heavily, not talking.

It wasn't entirely uncomfortable. Her hair was sticking to her damp face, there was a pleasant burn to her thighs, but the warm feeling she got from being with him outweighed the rest. Marinette turned her head to lazily press a kiss to his neck, still wrapped in his embrace despite the two of them being exhausted.

His voice was raspy as he broke the silence to ask, "Still want me to drive you in the morning?"

She smiled against his neck. "Yes, please."

"I hope you're fine with sharing a bed," Adrien mused. "I'd offer to sleep down here, if you weren't comfortable upstairs with me, but I don't think anyone will want to sit on here for a while."

Marinette laughed. "You're not going to ask me to pay the cleaning bill, are you?"

"I haven't given you that terrible an impression of me, have I?" he questioned, fingertips trailing across her thighs for a moment before he removed them completely, shifting his hips to try and get comfortable.

She hummed. "It's not too clear yet."

"I'll even let you sleep on the best side of the bed," he offered, teasing. "Doesn't that sound nice?"

As it turned out, the bed wasn't too bed. Adrien did a dramatic bow when he opened his bedroom door, allowing her to go in first, and he really did let her choose which side she wanted to sleep on. Surprisingly, after both of them had cleaned up in the bathroom, their conversation didn't dissolve into nothing.

Sure, she was sleepy and his bed was comfortable, but she was more than happy to stay up for a while talking to him. Adrien had turned around to face her in the bed, but the lack of light meant that he shouldn't have had to do that at all, but it was the thought that counted.

She woke up sneezing.

Marinette groaned, lifting a hand up to her nose to see whether she'd made a mess, and Adrien stirred beside her with a confused noise.

Instead of replying to him, she held her nose and padded across to the bathroom, clearing herself up first. A glance in the mirror confirmed the messy state of her hair that she'd been expecting, and the lack of any marks on her exposed skin, something she was thankful for.

"You okay?" Adrien questioned, sitting up in the bed with the duvet pooled around his lap, his phone in his hand.

She sniffed. "Yeah, just allergies."

"Oh." His brow furrowed. "You're not allergic to my pillows, are you? I don't have any feather ones—"

"No, no," Marinette interrupted, shaking her head. "It's just the weather, nothing serious."

He made a noise of understanding. "That sucks."

Their clothing was still downstairs from the previous night. And when she pointed out that out, Adrien had the decency to look a little embarrassed from forgetting that little detail, readily getting out of bed and asking her whether she wanted to borrow something of his for the time being.

He was being very accommodating.

She accepted a shirt and underwear from him—since she knew hers wouldn't be nice to put back on, regardless of the worry of her skirt blowing up and flashing someone when she left—and the two of them easily started talking again, bringing up a subject they'd mentioned while falling asleep.

It should've felt a lot more awkward than it was. One-night stands weren't exactly something she was comfortable with most of the time, and it almost always ended in her walking away without many positive feelings left.

And yet, she was still enjoying herself.

Her face felt hot when she saw the marks that she'd left on his neck.

"Do you—" Adrien cut himself off to clear his throat, having just put a shirt on. "Do you want to stay for breakfast?"

As it didn't seem too forced, she smiled. "I guess I can have a bite to eat."

His grin grew at that, reaching his eyes and showing the dimples on his cheeks. And as they wandered downstairs, their bare feet audible on the wooden floors, she admired his messy hair from the back, and the angles of his face when they started going down the stairs.

He looked good during the day.

It was the sight of their scattered clothes that caught her attention. Marinette gestured towards them and said that she was just going to text his friend, and Adrien didn't protest to that at all. He offered her a drink, calling out all the options before asking what she'd liked to eat—

He was going a little overboard, but she wasn't going to complain. It was rare enough that she was saying good-bye in the mornings, let alone enjoying a conversation with one of them afterwards.

Then again, he'd surprised her a lot.

She didn't give Chloé a chance to complain, simply telling her that she'd be a bit late since she was eating with him, and that she would definitely need a lift. And even though Chloé's reply would definitely be filled with curses or a rejection, she knew that she'd really come and get her.

The breakfast wasn't awful. Her expectations hadn't been too high, but he exceeded them. The food, along with the company, was nice, and her cheeks even started to hurt from laughing at one point.

"Thanks for talking to me last night," Marinette said, feeling bold as she lifted up her mug to have a sip. "I dare say it wouldn't have had this much fun otherwise."

He beamed. "Yeah?"

"Very," she confirmed, reaching up and tucking some hair behind her ear. "This morning's not too bad either. I admit, I was worried it would be awkward for a bit."

His laughter was soft. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You should," Marinette agreed, nodding her head. "I would've been out of here in a heartbeat otherwise."

Adrien's grin was wide. "Well, I'm glad you stayed."

"How could I resist the temptation of food?" she replied. "You're quite nice, too, don't worry."

He put a hand over his heart. "I almost worried that you liked the food more than me."

Marinette laughed. "After last night? You don't have much to worry about, trust me."

"Thank you?" It came out sounding like a question, and from the small laugh that left him, he was well aware of that. "If you're enjoying my company this much, would you—I mean, would you like to go on a date with me?"

To her embarrassment, she sneezed.

After sniffing, eyes feeling a bit wetter than before, she replied, "Sure, why not?"

"...I can't say I've had that reaction before," he mused.

"The sneeze or my actual answer?" Marinette questioned with a laugh.

He grinned. "Both."

"It's not my fault, okay?" she lamely retorted, no heat to her words. "If you don't want me constantly sneezing, it'll have to be at night again."

"Again?" Adrien asked, raising his eyebrows. "Are you classing last night as a date, Marinette?"

She shrugged. "Might as well, right? You made enough of an impression to coax me back here, and you _did _make breakfast."

"It wasn't really my intention to get you back here at all," he pointed out, taking a sip of his own drink. "I just want to get your friend to stop talking to you, but that didn't really happen, did it?"

Marinette's laughter was loud. "Did I annoy you?"

"Maybe," he replied, not giving a straight answer.

With a smile, she reached out to put her hand gently on top of his. "Did I get you worked up?"

That made him laugh, the sound breathy and honest. "Oh, definitely."

"That's good, then," she said as he linked their fingers together, his soft hand holding hers. "This means you'll have to pick somewhere other than the theatre to go, though."

He snorted. "It's not like you paid much attention to it."

"No, but dragging me along to see it for the second night in a row isn't exactly what I had in mind when I said yes to you," she mused.

Adrien's smile reached his eyes as he softly enquired, "Second night in a row?"

"Unless you have plans," Marinette replied, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm pretty much free every night, honestly. And that's not just my want to have sex talking with you again here."

He choked out a laugh. "You're pretty shameless, you do know that, right?"

"I'm just honest," she admitted. "We wouldn't be here unless I was, yes?"

"I don't know about that," Adrien said, lifting up their linked hands to put a chaste, and clichéd, kiss to her knuckles. "I think I might've tried to awkwardly flirt with you at the bar, even if you hadn't been so forward."

Marinette tried to keep a straight face. "You just wanted to kick my seat, not kick it in the sheets."

"Well, things changed when I got to know you," he defended himself, still grinning. "Besides, it was just like we had a sleepover. I know all about you now."

She really did laugh at that. "Those aren't quite the sleepovers I remember."

"No?" Adrien questioned, laughing along with her. "Maybe just the ones that are shown in films, then."

"I think we might've been watching very different things," she said.

Adrien adjusted his fingers between hers, looking at her wide-eyed and intentionally innocently. "Does that mean you're not interested in having another sleepover with me?"

"Well," she started, eyes flickering down to his lips before meeting his gaze again. "Let's see how our date goes first."

He grinned. "Our date tonight, yes?"

"Yes," Marinette agreed.

They talked for a little more, teasing each other once more, and then she wandered over to her scattered clothing, putting it into a neat pile after Adrien had offered to let her use his shower first. With that in mind, she got out her phone to text Chloé her location and ask her to pick her up soon, only to see the dozen messages from her that were filled with curses and threats.

"Everything okay?" Adrien questioned when he saw her scrolling through her phone.

"Yeah," Marinette replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Friend's just annoyed I ditched her for you."

He winced. "Sorry."

"Don't be," she assured him. "She's doing it for attention, not because she's cursing me to the depths of hell."

His number made it onto her contact list, and the picture was him smiling shyly with his messy hair and reddened lips visible. She was sure that hers probably looked just as incriminating.

They might've kissed a lot before she actually made it into the shower, surprised that he wasn't joining her at all.

She kept his underwear on afterwards, putting the rest of her clothing on, before padding downstairs to find him sipping another hot drink as he looked down at something on his phone.

She announced herself with a sneeze.

And to her surprise, Adrien got up and offered a tissue out to her. "Here," he said, encouraging her to take it.

He hadn't complained at all from her allergies, not even when she'd had to pull away and sneeze when they were kissing in the kitchen barely half an hour ago. She'd told him that Chloé was coming to pick her up and he hadn't attempted to extend their time together, nor had he go into the bathroom with her (other than to show her how the shower worked), and all of that was adding up greatly in his favour.

"You're very nice," she stated, reaching up to gently cup his cheek. "I hope you know that."

He looked a little embarrassed as redness appeared on his cheeks. "I am?"

"You are," she confirmed, standing on her toes to press her lips to his.

Adrien, thankfully, got the picture and leaned down so she was able to actually kiss him, but it was interrupted within seconds with the two of them jumping away in shock from a loud sound echoing throughout the room.

"That'll be my friend," Marinette explained with a laugh, putting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Thanks for the nice evening, Adrien."

He walked her to the door. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah." She sniffed. "If you stand me up, you better remember that I know where you live."

He smiled widely. "Oh, scary."

"Very," Marinette replied, eyes flickering to the marks visible on his neck. "I might maul you up even more than last night."

Adrien just laughed. "That sounds like a dream, honestly."

It made her chest feel warm.

Chloé continued to rapidly press the horn, disturbing the whole street from her quick fingers, and Marinette simply stood on her toes again to press a kiss to his jawline before stepping out of the front door, making it to the pavement before she turned around to see whether he was still there, looking at her.

He was.

Adrien waved, smiling widely.

She waved right back, knowing that her grin probably looked ridiculous.

Chloé continued to honk.

Her eyes felt itchy by the time she made it into the car, tossing her bag onto the floor as she fished out the packet of tissues they always kept inside.

Chloé had started driving off immediately. The large sunglasses she had on matched the over-the-top make-up perfectly, and when it was compared to Marinette's crumpled clothes and damp hair, it was quite clear who'd had the better night.

Marinette had only just managed to blow her nose when Chloé asked, "What the fuck was that?"

"That," she started, sniffing loudly, "was Adrien."

"That's nice." Chloé's tone said otherwise. "And why was he there, waving at you?"

She didn't try to hide her grin. "Because we're going on a date tonight."

"..._What_?"

"He was really nice," Marinette defended herself, crossing her arms. "Like, really nice. Nothing sleazy happened at all."

Chloé sighed a little too dramatically. "You didn't do anything at all, did you?"

"Well, we did have sex—"

"_Marinette_," she was chastised.

She laughed. "Yeah, fine. I get what you mean."

"You're a fucking idiot," Chloé gritted out. "And you fucked an idiot."

"But I didn't suck an idiot," Marinette pointed out, holding out her index fingers and pretending to shoot her friend. The deadpan look she got in return only made her laugh harder. "He was nice, okay? I didn't exactly want to do anything... untoward to him."

Chloé breathed out loudly. "When I said slut it up, I didn't mean this."

"I'm fine being a little bit hungry if I get a romantic date out of it," she replied, blowing her nose once more. "Well, that or great sex—that's always good, you know?"

"You're the worst vampire in the fucking world," Chloé muttered. "I already met up with someone and I only created that profile last night."

She snorted. "Okay, show off."

"Literally all you have to do is sign up with a fake name and you're fine," Chloé retorted. "What are they going to do when you bite them? Punch you?"

"I only bite the mean ones."

Chloé's sniff was more than just for the effect. "And fuck the nice ones, right?"

"To be fair, he's the first in months," Marinette replied with a shrug. "And he asked me on a date knowing that I get all gross in the sun."

"...Tell me you sneezed on his dick this morning."

She laughed loudly.


End file.
